I’ve found it! I’ve found it!! The Holy Grail!
Yes–I found a HOT SHOWER!! Not a *warm* shower, but a HOT one…the kind that’s almost too hot, where you actually want to turn it down just a notch, where you can stand under the paradisial flow and enjoy the heat running like lava down… [...]
So, today I went to San Kamphaeng Road (I may have the spelling wrong there, but since I’ve seen at least three transliterations today, I’m not sure it matters), where the craft factories/showrooms are. In fact they’re more showrooms and demo sites than factories…there’s precious little actual production going on there, but it’s great for [...]
Chiang Mai is amazing. Also heartbreaking. It’s the second largest city in Thailand, the tourist center for Northern Thailand, and it is *crammed* with the most exquisite woodcarving, silverwork, and weaving imaginable. All on sale for an absolute pittance. As a craftsperson, it makes me want to cry.
For example, for about $45, you can buy [...]
Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, has quite a different “beat” from Bangkok. It’s still busy and tourist-friendly (in fact I’m ecstatic to report that I’m using a super-fast satellite connection from the Internet cafe attached to my hotel), but not nearly as crowded or as mercenary. (The tuktuk drivers, for example, only want to charge [...]
I’m feeling pretty smug today. I went to the Chatuchak Market today and went through the antiques section–I now have a bow and fish spear for the body painting. I also picked up some sterling silver leaves for a tiara/hairpiece (I’ll make it on the train to Chiang Mai), and lots and lots of beads, [...]
First, happy Thanksgiving everyone! I did not actually find turkey in Bangkok (not very common here), but I did stuff myself on a variety of local foods.
Sorry for the radio silence this past week…I was hit by an uncontrollable hunting urge and (since I was stuck in Bangkok anyway) spent most of [...]
We’re currently planning body armor, headdress, hair job, etc. for the body painting (currently scheduled for next Thursday). I know a bunch of you are into comics (more recently than me, anyway)–any suggestions? URLs are best, I can forward them to the artist…
The current idea is two metallic cobras running up the body, [...]
Between the body painter’s schedule, the intricacies of Lao visas, and foot problems, it looks like I’ll be in Bangkok for most of the upcoming week. which is good since it will let me catch up on some writing…I’m working on a couple of essays which need time to coalesce. So I am taking a [...]
Well, after an 12-hour bus ride with amphetamine-crazed driver playing “chicken” with oncoming traffic (i.e. a thoroughly uneventful, standard Thai bus ride), I made it back to Bangkok at 5am. At the bus station, I was immediately beset with taxi drivers wanting to take me to my hotel for a “mere” 300 baht (3x the [...]
Remember the woman I taught to spin in the bus station on the way to Ko Chang, and gave my spare drop spindle to? Well, I sent her some of the acrylic roving Mr. Wu gave me, and just got an email from her daughter–she wants to send me a return gift, and/or start a [...]